Steerable tunnel-drilling machine



Jan. 3, 1967 D. F. WINBERG ETAL 3,295,892

STEERABLE TUNNEL-DRILLING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 30, 19644 I DOUGLAS E WINBERG JOHN GALGOGZY INVENTORS ATTORNEYS 19,67 D. F.WINBERG ETAL 3,295,392

STEERABLE TUNNEL-DRILLING MACHINE Filed March 30, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 3DOUGLAS F. WI NBERG JOHN GALGOQZY INVENTORS 3g wi g g 8 A TTORNEYS Jan.3, 1967 o. F. WINBERG ETAL 3,295,392

STEERABLE TUNNEL-DRILLING MACHINE Filed March 30, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 4DOUGLAS F. WINBERG 87 JOHN GALGOCZY INVENTORJ' ATTORNEYS United StatesPatent 3,295,892 STEERABLE TUNNEL-DRILLING MACHINE Douglas F. Winberg,Bellevue, and John Galgoczy,

Seattle, Wash, assignors to James S. Robbins and Associates, Inc., acorporation of Washington Filed Mar. 30, 1964, Ser. No. 355,775 21Claims. (Cl. 299-31) This invention relates to a tunnel-boring machine;and particularly a machine of the type which performs its boringfunction by the action of wedge'shaped cutters which are presented onthe front surface of a rotary cutting head to produce closely spacedconcentric kerfs in the rock face of the tunnel being bored, the wedgeshape of the cutters creating progressively increasing compressiveforces on the rock between the kerfs to cause fracturing thereof. Amounting body lying to the immediate rear of the head provides a rotaryjournal for the head. Such body carries electric motors for driving thehead, and also centers the head by means of shoes which slide along thewalls of the tunnel. A trunk rigid with the body extends rearwardlytherefrom. The trunk, while a boring operation is in progress, receivesa slide journal from a steering box which is localized by wall-grippingshoes against motion endwise to the tunnel while allowing for adjustingfreedoms in directions other than said endwise motion.

A machine of the above-described type is illustrated and described inpending application for Letters Patent of the United States filed Mar.18, 1963, Ser. No. 265,812 now Patent No. 3,203,737. Such machine wasengineered, however, for the boring of tunnels of quite large diameter,16 foot for example, and the cross-section thereof allows considerableliberty in the design and placement of the machines structural parts. Atunnel of, say 7 foot diameter is considerably more restricted. Amachine for boring a 7 foot tunnel must be more compact than one forboring a 9 foot tunnel. If adjusting freedoms comparable to those of thelarger machine are to be provided, the mechanisms therefor must operatewithin a compass giving full consideration to the space needs whichother necessary parts of a boring machine require. These mechanismsshould, moreover, be equally as rugged as those of the larger machine,and admit of being operated with a minimum of attention.

Having the foregoing in mind, it is a principal object of the presentinvention to provide a machine of perfected design permitting fulladjusting freedoms and one which, while applicable to the boring of alarge-diameter tunnel, peculiarly adapts itself to tunnels of relativeysmall diameter.

It is a further and important object to provide a tunnelboring machineof an articulated nature so that connecting sections can swing, onerelative to another, and thus permit the machine to negotiate curves theminimum arc of which is limited only by the length of a single one ofthe articulating sections rather than by the overall length of themachine.

These and other more particular objects and advantages will appear andbe understood in the course of the following description and claims, theinvention consisting in the novel construction and in the adaptation andcombination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view illustrating atunnel-boring machine embodying preferred teachings of the presentinvention.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view thereofdrawn to an enlarged scale on line 2-2 of FIG. 3.

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' FIGURE 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view on line 3-3 of FIG.1, employing the same scale as that of FIG. 2, and representing inphantom the main body of the machine on which the rotary cutting head isjournaled.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the machine. 1

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view on line 5-5 of FIG.1, with the scale larger than that of FIG. 1 but smaller than the scaleof FIGS. 2 through 4, inclusive.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view on line 6-6of FIG. 5; and

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary transverse vertical sectional view on line7--7 of FIG. 1.

Referring to said drawings, the numeral 20 generally denotes the .mainframe of the machine, and 21 the cutting head journaled for rotationupon the frame at the extreme front end of, the latter. The head has amultiplicity of cutting wheels mounted upon its front face, and aboutthe periphery at circumferentially spaced intervals presents scoopbuckets 22. For simplicity in illustration, only a single wedge cuttingwheel 23' and a single gauge cutting wheel 24 are shown. The scoopbuckets have a mouth facing toward the direction of travel of the bucketas the head rotates, and a lip extends forwardly from the mouth to scoopinto the mouth rock fragments and other debris cut from the end wall ofthe tunnel. Each of the buckets has an inner opening and at the upperlimit of travel the contents of the bucket are dumped through thisopening onto the forward end of the upper run of a power-driven endlessconveyor 26. A frame-work 27 supports the conveyor, locating the latterso that the same rises on a moderate incline from said forward receivingend to a rear discharge end whereat the conveyed matter is deliveredinto a 3-sided bin 28 having for its floor the forward end on a secondpower-driven endless conveyor 30 with discharges at the extreme rear endof the machine. Such second or tail conveyor receives its support froman afterbody attached as a substantial trailer to a trunk 32 extendingrearwardly as a rigid prolongation of the main frame. The structuralnature of said afterbody and the manner of its attachment will behereinafter described.

The main frame is generally cylindrical and at diametrically oppositesides carries a respective one of two electric motors 33. Pinions drivenfrom these motors mesh a bull gear to impart rotary motion to thecutting head. The main frame also carries four guide shoes 34located atthe top, the bottom, and the two sides adapted to have slide contactwith the wall of the tunnel as a boring operation proceeds, formaintaining the head in centered relation to the tunnel. These shoes aremounted for radical movement by sets of parallelmotion links 35, and areset in radically adjusted positions by double-acting hydraulic jacks 36.

The trunk 32 is a fabricated structure comprised of two parallelingbeams rigidly joined by cross-webs. Longitudinal ribs 37 flush with thetop face project laterally as shoulders from the outer face of each ofthe beams. The function of the truck is to steer the head and this isaccomplished by shifting the after end of the trunk. The trunk liesparallel with the rotary axis of the head, being offset below such axisto provide space in the central area of the tunnel for a steeringassembly. The steering assembly includes a steering box 40 providing forthe trunk a slide-way which constrains the trunk to travel a guidedlinear path which is fixed in relation to the box. The box is suspendedfrom a carriage 41. Through the mechanism of this suspension and themounting of the carriage from anchoring shoes 42 which grip the tunnelwall at diametrically opposite sides thereof the box admits to aplurality of adjusting freedoms, and namely shifting motionstransversely and vertically of the tunnel and rolling motions about axeslongitudinal t the trunk. By these freedoms said guided travel path maybe altered between a normal position occupied when a straight section oftunnel is being bored and positions angled in selectively variabledegrees with respect thereto. Double-acting hydraulic jacks permit theadjustments to be made while a cut is in progress.

The wall-engaging outer faces of the anchoring shoes 42 are generallyrectangular in plan configuration, and have projecting spikes 43 foraugmenting the wall purchase. When viewed from an end said outer facesare convex to conform to the curvature of the tunnel wall, and as acompensation to wall irregularities each shoe is so universally attachedto a related mounting stem that the shoe can rock about both alongitudinally extending horizontal axis and a vertical axis. Each stempresents twin cylindrical piston elements 44 extending as parallelbranches from a shoulder part 45. These two sets of pistons arejournaled in the carriage 41 for opposing slide motion in a directiontransverse to the tunnel.

The slide axes of the pistons 44 coincide as between the two shoes. Therespective planes occupied by said horizontal and vertical rocker axesalso coincide as between the two shoes. For said universal rockermovement longitudinally spaced sockets are provided at the rear of theshoe. A knuckle 46 has stub ends 48 pivoted in these sockets for wristmovement about a longitudinal axis located substantially on thelongitudinal median plane of the shoe. Auxiliary trunnion sleeves 47hold the stubs against dislodgment when the shoes are not pressingagainst a tunnel wall. The shoulder 45 presents an outwardly extendingyoke which straddles the top and bottom faces of the knuckle, and apivot pin 50 connects the arms 51 of the yoke to the knuckle for wristmotion of the knuckle about a vertical axis.

Spring-loaded pins 53 evenly spaced in two horizontal rows one above andthe other below the yoke and extending equal distances fore and aft ofthe transverse vertical plane occupied by the pin 50 exerts balancingthrust from the shoulder 45 to the shoe 42 to normally hold the shoe ina plane normal to the common slide axis of the two stems. The springs,denoted by 54, occupy pockets 55 Which are provided in the shoulder partand exert their thrust upon flanges which are formed upon the pins,yieldingly urging the latter to bear against a keeper plate 56 which isfixedly attached to-the shoulder.

The carriage 41 is or may be in the form of an elongated right prismplaced so that its major axis extends transversely of the machine.Parallel through-bores 57 placed symmetrical to the longitudinal medianline of the prism provide the slide journals for the twin pistons 44.The through-bores with the pistons which slide therein function as thecomponents of a pair of doubleacting hydraulic jacks exerting opposingthrust forces through the shoes upon the walls of the tunnel. Hy-:lraulic fluid is supplied under pressure to and dumped From thecylinders 57 of the jacks through drill-holes 58 and 59. The carriage isshiftable in the manner of l cross-head into selected positions adjustedtransversely )f the tunnel by means of a pair of double-acting hydranicjacks 60 extending transversely in an approximate \orizontal planebetween the carriage and the shoulder l of one of the shoe stems,connecting with suitable mounting lugs by pivot pins 61 and 62.

The steering box 40 has a U-shape when viewed from he side. Legs 63 ofsuch U overlie the front and the ack faces of the carriage with amoderate spacing thereetween. A multiplicity of springs occupy thisspace, nd perform a balance function in much the same manner s thesprings 54, to normally maintain the carriage in a osition centeredbetween the legs. A pair of upper and )Wcl springs 64 are placed at thecenter of the space,

and vertical rows of closely spaced springs 69 are located adjacent eachof the two ends. Springs 64 each surround the stern of a headed pin 65within a pocket formed in the carriage, and exert outward thrust upon aflange of the stem to yieldingly press the exposed head of the pinagainst the flat surface of a boss 66 presented by the concerned leg ofthe steering box. A keeper for the pins 65 is fixedly attached to thecarriage. Bottoming action of the stems against the floor of theconcerned pockets limit the degree to which the pins 65 can bedepressed. The springs 69 each occupy a cylindrical pocket which extendsfront to back through the concerned leg 63 of the steering box, eachsurrounding a respective rod 68. Inner ends of the several springs 69 ineach vertical row seat in a respective socket presented by a flat-facedvertical bar 70. The rods 68 have their inner ends pinned to the bar andhave a nut 71 threaded upon the exposed outer end. Springs 69 take theirpurchase against .a keeper plate 72 which is secured to the legs 63.Bars 70 perforce act as spring-pressed bumpers, bearing against slidefaces which are presented by the carriage.

The cross-arm 73 of the steering box has an inverted U shape when viewedfrom the end to produce a downwardly facing channel 74 which serves asthe slide-way for the trunk. Internal slippers 75 and 76 secured bycap-screws to the sides and top of the channel produce the slidesurfaces on which the trunk bears, the slippers 76 being lipped to catchunder the ribs 37 of the trunk. The steering box is raised, lowered orrolled relative to the carriage by means of double-acting hydraulicjacks 77 extending vertically between said box and carriage. One suchjack is provided at each of the two sides of the box, located central tothe fore-and-aft length of the box and having ball-joint endconnections. The steering box is guided in said raising, lowering, androlling motions by a radius arm 80 extending longitudinally of thecarriage from the carriage to the box on substantially the median lineof the carriage. As with the jacks 77, said linking radius arm 80 hasball-joint end connections.

It will be understood that the carriage and the steering box functiononly to locate the axis along which the main frame of the machine slidesas a cutting operation proceeds, and to resist torque loads created bythe rotary motion of the cutting head. No thrust loads exerted by therock face on the rotary cutting head are carried back through the trunk.These thrust forces are passed from the head through suitable bearingsupports (not shown) into the head portion of the main frame, and thenceare carried directly to the wall-gripping shoes through two pairs ofhorizontal longitudinally extending double-acting hydraulic thrust jacks81. One such pair is located at each of the two sides of the machine.The thrust jacks have ball-joint end connections.

The trunk, at its rear end, is surmounted by a strand 82. Theoverhanging rear end of the framework 27 which supports the endlessconveyor 26 seats on and is rigidly secured to this stand.

The afore-mentioned afterbody which is attached as a trailer to theextreme rear end of the trunk is a Z-deck structure and receives amounting from a bracket 83 bolted to said trunk. The two decks are eachconnected to said bracket for swing motions independently of one anotherabout both vertical and transverse horizontal axes. In the instance ofeach deck, the vertical swing motion is about the center of a respectivetransverse horizontal hinge pin as an axis, and the horizontal swing motion is about the center of a respective king pin as an axis. The hingepin 85 for the upper deck 86 is journaled through depending arms 87 of aterminal yoke. The hinge pin lodges in a rearwardly facing slot providedby an upper-level fork 88 of the bracket 83. The related king pin 89traverses the hinge pin at the substantial center thereof and has upperand lower ends journaled in the arms of the fork. A substantiallysimilar mounting is provided for the lower deck 90, with the hinge pinand the king pin being in this instance denoted by 91 and 92,respectively, and having the fork 93 therefor stepped below and inforwardly spaced relation to the upper-level fork;

The lower deck 90 has skid shoes 94 projecting diagonally downwardlyfrom each side at the rear end to sustain such rear end from the sidewalls of the tunnel. Such lower deck provides a station for theoperator, with the necessary controls and gauges for the operation ofthe machine. A motor-driven pump for the machines hydraulic system isalso mounted upon such lower deck. Theelectric power for driving thismotor and the motors which rotate the cutting head is carried to thecontrol station by trailing cords. tween the control station and theseveral hydraulic jacks.

The length of the afterbodys lower deck is approximately half that ofthe upper deck 87. A stand 99 surmounts the rear end of the lower deckto form a stationary rest for the overhanging rear end of such upperdeck. A cross-bar 95 also functions as a sustaining member for said rearend. Hydraulic jacks 96 permit such bar 95 to be raised or lowered, anda double-acting hydraulic jack 97 extending transversely from the bar toa post 98 depending from the upper deck permits the upper deck to beshifted in either lateral direction.

It is thought that the manner in which the machine operates will havebeen largely apparent from the foregoing description. When the anchorshoes 42 have been retracted from the tunnel wall incident, say, tomoving the shoes forward for taking a grip at -a new location, themachine is supported by the front-end guide shoes 34 and by a rear foot100. This rear foot' is operated by a hydraulic jack and during workingperiods of the machine is kept retracted. For said forward movement ofthe shoes (the present machine being engineered for a 2-foot stroke) thefour thrust jacks 81 are retracted. This draws the disengaged shoesahead, causing the steering box to slide upon the trunk in concert withsuch advance. Upon reaching the forward limit of this resetting step,the operator charges pressure fluid into the cylinders 57 of thecarriage 41, forcing the pistons outwardly within said cylinders tocause the anchor shoes to be again firmly planted against the tunnelwall.

With the pistons now localized relative to the tunnel, the rotary axisof the cutting head may be placed in selected adjusted positions bymanipulation of the steering assembly, and namely by operation of thehorizontal jacks 60, the vertical jacks 77, and the longitudinal jacks81, an adjustment of one most usually dictating a complementingadjustment of the others. These adjustments can perforce be performedeither when the machine is stationary or while a cut is in progress. Itwill be apparent that the hydraulic pressure which exerts outwardwall-gripping force upon the anchor shoes is in no wise affected byadjustments given to the carriage causing the latter to slide upon thepistons 44 toward or from either shoe 42. The universal connections atthe ends of the radius arm 80 and at the ends of the vertical jacks 77allow the steering box to cock itself relative to the carriage whenadjustments made to the steering assembly locate the slide :axis of thetrunk in an abnormal condition, or which is to say any condition otherthan one midway. Between the shoes normal to a transverse vertical planeoccupied by the shoes. Should the anchor shoes creep circumferentiallyof the tunnel during the progress of a cut in consequence of thepurchase having been taken upon a faulty surface, counter activation ofthe two vertical steering jacks 77 brings the steering box back to alevel position. It will be understood that each of the vertical jacks 77may be operated independently of each other and of course independentlyof the carriage-shifting jacks 6%. Thus any compounding of lateral andvertical movements, within prescribed limits, may be obtained. Allthrust forces are passed through the jacks 81 from the main bodydirectly to the Flexible hoses extend beanchor shoes. Torque is passedfrom the trunk into the vertical steering jacks 77.

The trailing afterbody, being hinged for swing motion, permits themachine to negotiate curves of considerably shorter radius than wouldotherwise be permitted. The machine must have a greater length thanmachines which are engineered to bore larger tunnels in that spacelimitations do not permit the operators station to be located close tothe front of the machine.

It is believed that the invention will have been clearly understood fromthe foregoing detailed description of our now-preferred illustratedembodiment. Changes in the details of construction may be resorted towithout departing from the spirit of the invention and it is accordinglyour intention that no limitations be implied and that the hereto annexedclaims be given the broadest interpretation to which the employedlanguage fairly admits.

What we claim is:

1. In a tunnel-boring machine, a power-driven rotary cutting head, amain body having said head journalmounted thereon, a trunk extendingrearwardly from said body, a box proxiding a slide-way for the rear endof said trunk, anchor means movable into and out of gripping engagementwith the wall of a tunnel being bored, means supporting said box fromthe anchor means for adjustment of the box both vertically andtransversely relative to the anchor means, and a trailing afterbodyhinged to the rear end of the trunk.

2. A tunnel-boring machine according to claim 1 in which the hingeconnection permits the afterbody to swing in two planes at right anglesto one another.

3. A tunnel-boring machine according to claim 1 in which the afterbodysupports an operators platform and controls for the operation of themachine.

4. A tunnel-boring machine according to claim 1 in which the afterbodyis comprised of upper and lower sections hinged by their front ends sothat each can swing independently of the other both horizontally andvertically, the lower section providing means sustaining the rear end ofthe upper section in elevated relation to the lower section.

5. A tunnel-boring machine according to claim 4, means being providedfor shifting the rear end of the upper section relative to the lowersection into selected positions within given ranges of transverse andvertical adjustment.

6. A tunnel-boring machine according to claim 1 in which the trunk andthe afterbody respectively support a front and a rear endless conveyoracting as successive carriers for moving fractured rock and other debrisfrom the machines front end to the extreme rear end thereof.

7. A tunnel-boring machine according to claim 6 in which the frontendless conveyor has its receiving front end located at the approximatemid-height of the rotating head so that rock fragments picked up byscoop buckets rotating with the cutting head can be dumped by gravityonto said conveyor, and slopes upwardly from said receiving end to adischarging rear end which overhangs the receiving front end of the rearconveyor, the trunk having a surmounting stand upon its extreme rear endgiving support to the rear end of the front conveyor, the box in whichsaid trunk slides lying to the front of the stand.

8. In a tunnel-boring machine, a power-driven rotary cutting head, amain body having said head journalmounted thereon, anchor means movableinto and out of gripping engagement with the wall of a tunnel beingbored, operative interconnection between said anchor means and the mainbody for positioning the main body within the tunnel, and an afterbodyhingedly connected in trailing relation to the main body for bothhorizontal and vertical swing motion relative to the main body, saidafterbody comprising upper and lower sections having said hingeconnnection with the main body located at the respective front end andbeing characterized in that each section can swing independently of theother.

9. A tunnel-boring machine according to claim 8 in which the hingeconnection comprises a trunnion having its ends journaled for rotationabout a transverse horizontal axis in the arms of a yoke fixed to theafterbody, and a king-pin traversing the trunnion midway between saidjournaled ends of the tunnion and having its own ends journaled forrotation about a vertical axis in the arms of a fork fixed to the mainbody.

10. A tunnel-boring machine according to claim 9 having means at therear end of the lower section sustaining the rear end of the uppersection in elevated relation thereto.

11. In a tunnel-boring machine, a main body having a rotary cutting headjournaled for rotation thereon, a

trunk rigid with and extending rearwardly from the body presenting slidefaces paralleling the axis of rotation of the head, anchor shoes movableinto and out of gripping engagement with the wall of a tunnel beingbored at a position spaced a substantial distance to the rear of thehead, piston elements attached to and extending inwardly from each ofsaid anchor shoes on a substantial diameter of the tunnel, a blockserving as a carriage occupying a position between the shoes and boredfrom its ends on a coinciding axis to provide cylinders in whichthepistons are received, said cylinders forming journals for sliding motionof the carriage endwise to the pistons, means for moving the carriage toand setting the same at selected points Within a permitted range of saidslide motion, a steering box providing a slide-way for said slide facesof the trunk constraining the trunk to travel along a guided linear pathwhich is fixed in relation to the box, at least two upright armsindependently adjustable as to length each supporting a respective oneof the two sides of the box from the carriage, and a linking connectionbetween the carriage and box disposed transversely of the tunnel toprescribe a guided path in which the box moves upon adjusting the lengthof the hanger arms.

12. A tunnel-boring machine according to claim 11 having a trailingafterbody hinged to the extreme rear end of the trunk.

13. A tunnel-boring machine according to claim 11, a matching set of atleast two paralleling pistons being attached to each of said shoes.

14. A tunnel-boring machine according to claim 13 in which the co-axialbores for at least one of the two pistons of said sets of pistons are incommunication, hydraulic fluid from a pressure source being suppliedthereto for forcing the pistons outwardly and responsively pressing theshoes against the tunnel wall.

1 15. A tunnel-boring machine according to claim 11 in which the meansfor moving and setting the carriage comprises a double-acting hydraulicjack.

16. A tunnel-boring machine according to claim 11 in which the hangerarms for the steering box are comprised of double-acting hydraulicjacks.

17. A tunnel-boring machine according to claim 11 in which the pistonelements are universally attached to the anchor shoes.

18. A tunnel-boring machine according to claim 11 in which the boxprovides upstanding cheek sections which overlie front and back faces ofthe carriage in spaced normally parallel relation thereto, andspringpressed means carried by one and pressing against the other ofsaid normally parallel faces for yieldingly urging said faces into saidparallel condition.

19. A tunnel-boring machine according to claim 11 in which the linkingconnection is a radius arm.

20. A tunnel-boring machine according to claim 11 in which said uprightarms are comprised of double-acting hydraulic jacks.

'21. A tunnel-boring machine according to claim 11 in which the meansfor moving and setting the carriage comprises at least one double-actinghydraulic jack extending as a connection between the carriage and one ofthe anchor shoes.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,546,950 3/1951Nixon 166-212 2,978,235 4/1961 Felbeck et al. 29918 X FOREIGN PATENTS852,537 10/1960 Great Britain. 889,943 2/1962 Great Britain.

y ERNEST R. PURSER, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A TUNNEL-BORING MACHINE, A POWER-DRIVEN ROTARY CUTTING HEAD, AMAIN BODY HAVING SAID HEAD JOURNALMOUNTED THEREON, A TRUNK EXTENDINGREARWARDLY FROM SAID BODY, A BOX PROXIDING A SLIDE-WAY FOR THE REAR ENDOF SAID TRUNK, ANCHOR MEANS MOVABLE INTO AND OUT OF GRIPPING ENGAGEMENTWITH THE WALL OF A TUNNEL BEING BORED, MEANS SUPPORTING SAID BOX FROMTHE ANCHOR MEANS FOR ADJUSTMENT OF THE BOX BOTH VERTICALLY ANDTRANSVERSELY RELATIVE TO THE ANCHOR MEANS, AND A TRAILING AFTERBODYHINGED TO THE REAR END OF THE TRUNK.